BIFF extorts from NIA project in Cotabato town – Army

From the Manila Bulletin (Jan 6): BIFF extorts from NIA project in Cotabato town – Army

The Army in North Cotabato has accused a rebel group of extorting some P3 million from the contractor of a multi-billion irrigation dam project located along the Rio Grande de Mindanao.

Lt. Antonio Bulao, spokesman for the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, identified the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFM), a breakaway group from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), as behind the extortion activities of a project in Carmen, North Cotabato being implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Central Mindanao (Region 12).

Bulao said the rebels have demanded pullout of the NIA project as this will allegedly affect their movement, especially along the Liguasan marsh and in the Pulangi River, the country’s second largest river.

Despite threats, the NIA-12 is bent on pursuing the completion of the Malitubog-Maridagao (Mal-Mar) irrigation project, which is now on its second phase, Bulao said.

Since last year, the Army has been providing security to the area. “In fact, the Army in North Cotabato has put up Task Force Mal-Mar to ensure the construction would not be hampered by threats from BIFF and other rebel groups operating in the area,” the spokesman said. The attacks, however, continued.

The soldiers deployed in the Mal-Mar project were again “challenged” by the BIFF rebels last December 31 until January 2 this year, he said.

One of the soldiers under the 602nd Brigade was wounded during the encounters but the BIFF, reports reaching Bulao said, lost nine of their members after two days of armed fighting and mortar shelling.

“We were told nine persons, all members of the BIFF, were buried one after the other in the area after we conducted mortar shelling and other military actions against the group,” said Bulao.

http://www.mb.com.ph/biff-extorts-from-nia-project-in-cotabato-town-army/